Fiore Tra le spine
by The Li'l devil
Summary: The pieces of Eden are strange, cruel things...just toys for the beings greater than us. It took a thousand years just to realise that and uncover a controversy older than the creation of Man itself. Pretty slow fanfiction. Includes Ocs but they aren't love interests. YAOI m/m Ezio x Leo, Alt/Mal
1. Arc 1 : Italy part 1

Fiore Tra Le Spine (Flower among thorns)

Author's note: Hello! This is my first Assassin's creed fanfic….I've played all the parts (except black flag) so I'm hoping the story is a little accurate. It's Ezio/Leo and like my other fics will have an OC. No worries, my Ocs are usually sisters or adopted daughters .

**Author's note 2: ** Leonardo's four years younger than Ezio and I played around with the dates a little for my convenience. The thought of Leonardo dying nine years earlier than Ezio is a little sad .

PS: Leo's so cute!

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He stood effortlessly atop the cross of the tallest spire of Duomo di Santa Maria Del Fiore, the red cape fluttering behind him like a stray rose petal. He looked at the two people crouched either side of him, dressed up in similar attire; minus the flashy red. "See that man there?" he whispered in his deep voice that would seem like dark chocolate to all the women he ensnared and pointed at one of the many people in the busy market below them. A normal person wouldn't be able to distinguish but these three were nothing close to ordinary.

"Si, the *grasso in Maroon." The most slightly built of the three said. It was pretty evident that she was a child, judging by her stature and voice.

"Si, You're job is to kill the mercante and come right back up without getting noticed by the guards…if you do that, you will be promoted from trainee to a novice assassin." He instructed.

"*Troppo Facile." The other one said. Judging by his voice, which had just started cracking up because of puberty; he was also a mere child.

"Ch…*Culo" The young girl spat, pulling her hood to shadow over her nose and mouth as well.

"You *poco…" The boy began angrily.

"*Zitto! Now finish your mission, little *ragazzaccio." The oldest said his voice a mixture of annoyance and fondness.

"Uno, due, tre!" The two yelled and jumped from their perch, stretching their arms wide. Landing on stacks of hay and summer blossoms on either side, their eyes trained on the man they had to kill, fat, bald, extravagant clothes and a scraggly brown beard. Both of them immediately darted off through the crowd towards their target.

The girl reached first, stabbing the merchant with a stiletto. He didn't scream since she jabbed him right through the neck with a sickening squelch. The blood sprayed out and she stepped back to avoid being drenched in it and she blended in with the crowd to escape. Mission accomplished.

She squinted, turning on her eagle vision, searching for the blue glow of the boy. After a few minutes of searching and weird looks from the 'normal' citizens of Roma she finally spotted the glare of blue surrounded by red.

"*Maledetto!" she swore and got her blade ready, blending with the crowd to get as close as possible. She kicked sand into their eyes and dragged the boy with her.

Finally the two were atop Duomo di Santa Maria del Fiore under the safety of their teacher.

He jumped off the cross and bent down in front of her so that they were at eye level. He removed his hood revealing his handsome face. "Leona." He said softly "That was a very brave thing you did there…" he smiled gently, his warm brown eyes crinkled a bit. Leona grinned and removed her hood as well, revealing her wild mop of curly black hair, striking amber eyes and olive skin. "It's my job as an Assassino, Ezio." She said. Ezio raised an eyebrow. "Sorry…Maestro." She grinned sheepishly.

His eyes softened as he hugged her. "You're an assassino now." He said proudly. He turned to the boy "And Horatio…" Horatio flinched.

"You can do better next time." He smiled.

Leona and Horatio looked stunned. Maestro Ezio was a strict man, a little bit of cacophony during training and he'll descend his rock hard hand upon their backs or even worse a whack with the back of his sword. Apart from that Ezio was like a father to all the young trainee assassinos.

"Okay we better get going; Machiavelli will deny us our supper if we come late." Ezio ushered the two kids to the edge of the old church. Leona stood a little stiffly trying her best to stop Ezio from dragging her to Machiavelli's place. "Um…Maestro I need to ask you something…"

"What is it? *Mi piccolo." Leona fidgeted a little nervously. "My Papa's here and I want to see him…"

Ezio's hard eyes softened. "Of course, But I will accompany you…Besides you're Padre needs to know of your achievement." He grinned, the scar across his lips shone a little under the sunlight.

Leona grinned "Graci Padre Da assasino!" Ezio affectionately brought the two children close to his body in a sort of hug.

Leaving poor Horatio with Machiavelli, Ezio and Leona set off. "What does you're Padre do?" Ezio asked. He was a little surprised since it was the first time a Father had allowed his child to join the brotherhood and such a young one at that.

"He's many things." Leona grinned as she skipped from roof to roof. "An artist, a scientist, a philosopher….He's everything." She said animatedly.

"ah…" this person sounded like a friend of his, someone he was planning on meeting after getting the two amateurs nice and comfortable at Machiavelli's.

"We're here!" Leona jumped and landed right in front of a very familiar building. Ezio gasped. _'what if…'_

"Papa! Papa!" Leona half yelled-half screamed, knocking at familiar oak doors. There was a violent thud, a groan, a padding of footsteps towards the door and finally the huge oak doors opened, revealing a very familiar person in familiar clothes of colourful tunic and a familiar beret atop a familiar crown of blonde hair framing a familiar angular face with red freckles and familiar sparkly blue eyes.

"Leona?!" Leonardo exclaimed as the little girl hugged his waist. His eyes finally fell on Ezio. "E-Ezio?!" Leonardo exclaimed again, this time in a squeakier voice. "Long time no see, mi amico." Ezio walked up to the surprised painter with and hugged him which the younger man eagerly returned.

"You know each other?" Leona asked, not very surprised. "Si, Leonardo is a dear friend." Ezio nodded, a rare roguish grin on his face directed to Leonardo who grinned back. " Good then, I don't have to tire myself by introducing the two of you." She walked inside in a lazy trot.

"Quite a little *Monello, that one." Ezio grinned, his arm draped over Leonardo as they went inside.

"Si,Si only I know how much stuff she would pickpocket from citizens…" Leonardo smiled a little too proudly.

"I'm surprised you let her join the brotherhood, much less travel to Monterriggioni ." Ezio asked, picking at his scar.

"There's something….ah special about her." Leonardo said in a bit of a daze.

"You permitted her on a whim?" Ezio asked sternly, a slight frown marred his forehead and crinkled the skin around his eyes making his face look older.

"No,No…it's just that." Leonardo scrunched his face in thought. "She's just different; I don't think you'll understand."

"Actually I do…" Ezio trailed off a little uncertainly. "Only some are gifted with eagle vision…and Leona has it. It is pretty weird since she is not of Assassino blood." He mused, absentmindedly stroking his stubble.

Leonardo stared off into space. "I won't be surprised, she is adopted after all."

The two had seated themselves in Leonardo's messy workshop. Leona had gone upstairs, most probably to nap. "So what brings you to Firenze?" Leonardo asked pouring some expensive tea, probably gifted by some rich patron into a perfectly crafted ceramic cup. "Just doing my job as mentore, it's taxing especially with a monello like Leona." Ezio chuckled wearily. The man had aged considerably after his uncle's death and pursuing the Borgia and mentoring the young assassinos of the brotherhood added to the tension.

"What're you doing in Firenze? If I remember correctly I safely brought you to Venetia." Ezio said between sips of tea. "I came to take back some stuff I left the last time." Leonardo said averting his gaze, his demeanor stiffening ever so slightly.

Ezio frowned a little, Leonardo was hiding something. " Leo, *il mio amico-"

"Papa! I'm hungry! Where's Ezio? Ran off to the Rosa in Fiore?" Leona made her way downstairs. She froze once she reached the foot, seems that Ezio hadn't left.

"Ehehehe….Hello there, Maestro…ehehehe." Leona grinned sheepishly, drawing imaginary circles on the ground with her feet. Leonardo tried covering his grin with his palm and Ezio looked at her with a stern face.

"Come here." He said, his deep voice echoing through the walls of the messy workshop. Leona braced herself for a beating as she made her way towards her mentor. "Give me your hand." Uh-oh it was the slap on the knuckles with the flat of his sword punishment.

She waited for the blow that never came. 'ehh…' she cracked an eyelid open to see Ezio grinning. "Come here mi piccolo." He gave her a bone crushing hug.

Leonardo smiled. He could see the yearning look in Ezio's eyes. Maybe a child was what he needed, his life was just a huge serving of tragedy and a child might bring in some joy.

After the sun had sunk completely low and the busy market place became deserted and dinner was over and Leona had gone to sleep, the two men sat on the paint stained couch in Leonardo's messy workshop, talking over some wine.

"I think you should get yourself a wife, a child or two will do you some good." Ezio raised an eyebrow. Leonardo looked at him with half glazed eyes, his freckles red against the pink of the flush on his cheeks. He was clearly on that fine line dividing drunk from sober. "I've got no time for family and you know that….the person who should settle down is you, Leonardo." Ezio said with the frown. This was new.

"I'm married to my work, mi amico and besides I've got Leona." Leonardo hiccupped a little. He was totally wasted. Ezio chuckled. "You're drunk."

He pulled the wine glass from Leonardo's hand and got up. "It's time for you to go to bed." He dragged the drunken man to his bedroom and laid him on the tiny cot next to the bedroom window. He looked at Leonardo's sleeping form. He truly had the visage of an angel. His hair was a sort of sandy blonde framing his extremely pale face which was highlighted by the natural pink of his skin. The freckles strewn across his nose and cheeks gave him a boyish look and the heavy eyelids framed by long, thick blonde lashes covered those innocent looking sea blue eyes. Leonardo's feminine charm clashed with his masculine appearance creating something almost divine. No wonder his patrons always described him as beautiful. Ezio lightly stroked the artist's cheek affectionately. Leonardo always amused him in a way, maybe that's what Leona had in common with (though they weren't related by blood).

"Eziooo…" Leonardo whispered in his sleep. "*Ti amo…" he blushed a little. Ezio smiled slightly. Years of following the creed taught him to love things to his heart's content, to live a life free of the shackles of society. Leonardo was a very important person in his life and he knew he was one of the only people Leonardo confided him. Sometimes he wished that society was more forgiving, but even an illiterate knew that wasn't possible. He bent down and planted a small kiss on Leonardo's forehead, pulling the beret of and putting it on the tiny bedside table and jumped out of the window into the cold, deserted streets of Italia.

He had some killing to do.

ooooooooooooooooooooooooTbc00000000000

Glossary

Grasso – fat

Tropo Facile – too easy

Culo – Stupid

Poco – little

Zitto – shut up

Ragazaccio – brats

Maledetto – damn

Monello – Brat

Mi Piccolo- My little one

Il mi amico – my friend

Ti amo – I love you


	2. Arc 1 : Italy part2

**Chapter 2**

"_Baba! Baba!..." she tried getting the words out of her throat, but her jaws, her limbs, everything was clamped shut by the ice. The ice…how did so much of it end up here? It didn't snow so much here._

_Finally a blurred figure came to view…She'd recognize that cock sure way__of gait anywhere.__ "Brother!" She tried screaming even though she knew it was futile. He looked at her and sneered, lips moving to form words that never reached her ears through the shear wall of ice separating them. She wanted to cry, but the ice didn't even give her that luxury. Only that voice, that coaxing, sweet voice assured of her existence, begged for her patience._

"_Please be patient my child…."_

_And she was for years and years and…._

Leona woke with a start; her drool soaked pillow's rancid smell was enough to prove that she was just having a funny nightmare. After tossing and turning and angrily throwing her blanket at her roommate Sarah to stop her snoring, Leona came to the conclusion that she couldn't sleep.

She jumped out of her window, gracefully leaping across buildings and trees. Finally she reached the top of the Duomi de Santa Maria Del Fiore. She loved high places and this was one of the highest in Firenze. This was also where she got her Assassin rank six months ago. Six months….

It had been six months since Ezio had gone to Roma and Leonardo to Milan. She was stuck here killing stupid, corrupt merchants and experimenting doctors. She wanted to kill Templars, to feel her blade slice into the flesh of a challenging opponent. Maybe she could run away to Roma? The others would be angry and she would be given a good whipping but it would be worth it.

She had heard many bad things about the soldiers in Roma, so terrible she was actually a little scared…But she was an assassin now and she should be allowed to do the high ranked jobs the adults did. And besides she had to go to Milan first to check on her father. Mind made up, she stood up and took off to the stables.

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Cesare Borgia was an evil man. Leonardo had only heard rumours about him at first, now he experienced it first-hand. Forced to make weapons for him for an income that was barely enough to feed him and whipped whenever he so much as said a word in protest, Cesare was a monster.

He let out a gasp as the whip sliced through the cloth, skin and flesh on his back. "You will make the weapon, won't you?" he asked in his hard, Spanish accented voice. Leonardo shook his head "No, it's too-"His words were cut off by the whip that came thundering down his back. "Will you make the weapon or not!?" the younger man snarled like the primal creature he was and whipped the artist again. "No!" Leonardo screamed. The weapon, Cesare had ordered him to make was ghastly, inhumane….something Leonardo would rather die than make. A man like him that detested killing so much that he had given up on meat was forced to make something that would smoulder and burn and embalm human flesh was tyranny at its highest.

"Well if you don't…." the Spaniard pointed his blood stained whip at a dark cell which was teaming with squirming bodies of little children. Leonardo gasped in shock. "You monster!" Cesare gave him a crooked grin "You're the one making the weapons."

Cesare leaned forward and roughly pulled Leonardo by the chin, dragging him till their noses touched; an ugly sneer marred his relatively handsome face. "So, are you making them?" he asked, pulling the artists beard harshly. "S-Si! Please let them go, they're innocent." Leonardo begged, his eyes glistening with unshed tears. Cesare leered "I love the way you beg, do you do that a lot with the men you bed?" Leonardo's eyes widened, horror and disgust darkened the bright blue of his eyes. "Porca Puttana!" Leonardo cried in fury and struck Cesare straight across the face (Sexy Bitch slap eh :3).

For a second, the Spaniard wore a pretty hilarious shocked expression. But an expression of pure fury had taken its place on his face not long after. He positioned the dreadful whip high in the air, ready to deliver a crushing blow. Leonardo braced himself for the incoming impact.

"Stop Brother!" Came the voice of Lucrezia Borgia. Cesare's whip came thundering down in a deafening crack hardly an inch from Leonardo's feet. She made her way towards Cesare, her waist swaying in a tantalizing way. She latched herself to his shoulder, making sure his arm fit between her plump breasts. "He's useful to us …" She said in a seductively low voice, her lips almost brushing against the shell of Cesare's ears "don't damage him just yet." She tugged at his sleeve, assuring him towards the door.

Leonardo hid his disgust, dreading another beating. Cesare turned to give one last look; it was dark with a sort of dark hunger that sent shivers up his spine.

He better work on the weapons fast….to save the children and himself.

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Ezio sat atop the assassin's headquarters in Rome. He had fought a good one hour with Machiavelli about the importance of being friendly with Catherina and the man had just brushed it off with his cynical replies. He grumbled and took a swig of red wine. Maybe he could visit his sister, vent his frustrations out in the arms off a courtesan. He really did crave the warmth of another body…It had been a year since he had proper intercourse.

"Read this!" Machiavelli yelled in anger, which was pretty shocking since he hardly raised his voice and threw a rolled up piece of parchment at Ezio. Ezio opened it and instantly recognised the neat handwriting of the oldest assassin in Florence.

He pinched the bridge of his nose in irritation. "Leona…" he sighed heavily. "I should've taught her myself…She's reckless just like her stupid Maestro!" Machiavelli groused irritably. "She must've gone to Milan to see her Papa, I'll go bring her back…" Ezio snapped. "On your way then, get back you're reckless novice and punish her for acting like you." He said sarcastically and went back into the confines of the headquarters.

Ezio made his way to the stables. The feeling in his gut told him, something was very wrong.

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TBH


	3. Arc 1 : Italy part 3

**Chapter 3 **

**Author's note: Reviews to master, **_you are the sweetest person ever! Love your reviews! *gives you a cookie*_

Leona was currently in Turin, a quaint town if you ignored the dark alleys and slums that was teaming with human trafficking, human experimentation, the plague, gambling, murder, robbery, rape and the Borgia's underlings. She had reached the Assassin's headquarters there, under the pretext of a mission with the help of some random letter she had found tied to some random pigeon in some random coop. After a hearty meal she went back to the stables and sat herself next to her stead. She closed her eyes; let her thoughts take her away to places. This sort of thing was something she did when she was bored or had a moment of solitude, it usually awarded her with a sketch or a story or a little poem…sometimes it even helped her device a plan or solve a case and complete a difficult mission…sometimes she just did it to clear her mind of useless things.

'_Papa…'_ Sometimes she wished she could telepathically connect with him, she just missed him so much.

It was her third day in Turin, rested completely she sneaked her way into the stables. En route to fetching a saddle and some food supplies she got mauled by a huge grizzly bear…just kidding. She got mauled by an incredibly heavy body, judging by the blur of white and read and the cowl it was an assassin. " Porca Puttana!" she swore and delivered a kick right in the groin. The heavy assassin fell with an unceremonious 'thump', his fall a little cushioned by the hay.

Leona' moment of triumph was ruined when she noticed the face though…

"M-Maestro?!" she stuttered awkwardly. "Uh… are you alright?" She asked, trying to get a glimpse of Ezio's pained face.

He groaned in response. Bad news, she might be whipped for this… Finally after a few long minutes of rolling about in pain, Ezio sat up holding his groin in pain. "I knew you're going to meet Leonardo…" he managed between pain filled gasps.

"He hasn't sent me a single letter for the past six months, I find that really weird…" Leona explained, chewing her lower lip in concentration as she saddled up her horse. It had been an hour or so and Ezio's pain had finally ebbed away. "Maybe, he's busy with a project…" Ezio suggested, though in the back of his mind he clearly knew something was wrong. "*Mi auguro." Leona sighed heavily, throwing a load of goods over her horse's back. Both of them knew something was terribly wrong. Leonardo always wrote to Leona, regardless of his work schedule. What father wouldn't when his daughter's job was killing people?

Somewhere about seven hours away from Milan in the tiny farming village of Magenta, the two assassins stopped at a dingy inn for food. Dinner was quite bland: some bread and a sort of chicken stew. Ezio had grudgingly drunk the wine offered to him, it was disgustingly sour but he needed to mellow out the uncomfortable feeling that had settled in his chest.

Milan was just seven hours away, if they rode now they would reach the gates by dawn. But Ezio could see the fatigue in Leona's gait and visage…A little sleep would do them both good.

The moon was high in the sky and the stars around in twinkled bright; the whole night seemed to be a set up for some vivid play of knights stealing kisses from princesses in a garden of white roses. Ezio could imagine Leonardo sitting on the soft grass and capture this surreal scene on paper…it was strange how the painter had stuck with him for so long…They were of different worlds and top of that Leonardo despised violence of any sorts. Yet he had made weapons for him, concealed dark secrets for him, went completely against his principles for him, and tended to his wounds….worried for him. Ezio sighed; he really needed to go to the brothel for rehabilitation after all this. _'Wait for me Leonardo…'_

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Lucrezia knew she had a fine taste in men, no wonder she had an undeniable attraction towards Leonardo. He wasn't well built and tanned, but he was graceful and beautiful. He was something Lucrezia would love to break and love to get broken by, something to dominate over and to be dominated by. She slowly made her way to Leonardo's cell, her hips swaying from side to side indicating her attitude and her breasts held up high to flaunt her pride.

There where the noises of whips and loud groans and whimpers emanating from Leonardo's cell, Cesare obviously. She knew Cesare gained pleasure when he hurt someone…especially someone he lusted after. She saw the glances Cesare had given Leonardo, his brown eyes laced with the darkness of lust. She, Cesare and Leonardo in bed together seemed so very tempting….so dark, so forbidden…a shiver ran through her spine just thinking about it.

The guards parted to give her way and giving her a fine view of Cesare and Leonardo. The painter's back was decorated with red slashes and ripped clothing…._delicious_ .

She looked up at Cesare's face, could see the dark shadow of want as he licked his lips and wiped the sweat of his brow.

She made her way into her brother's arms and whispered into his ear _'when…when shall we play with this toy'_

'_soon, but not now, *mi amore…"_

The two Borgias looked at Leonardo as a wolf would at a hare. Leonardo looked at the two Borgias as a hare would at a wolf.

'_someone…save me from this wolf den.'_

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Finally the two assassin's had passed through the gates of Milan, disguised as father and daughter….which was pretty hard convincing since Leona had the skin of someone from the middle east and bared no resemblance to Ezio. He had to spin tales of being a trader that fell in love with an exotic Syrian woman who had borne him a daughter and died of child birth. Ezio had been so dramatic; the guard was left a sniffling and sympathetic.

They had finally reached Leonardo's house and workshop. But the building was surprisingly quiet, looming over them like a petrified giant, the twin windows on the top floor eerily resembling to gaping eyes that seemed to conceal an ominous secret.

Leona knocked hard, yelling for her papa. When there had been no reply for a long time, Ezio rammed his body into the door which splintered and fell under his weight. The workshop looked like it hadn't seen a single human for a long time, a fine layer of dust had settled on everything and rats screeched at the ones that had entered their lair. Ezio panicked and when he panicked he would always be angry. He rammed his fist into a table nearby; the cheap would splintered under the sheer force of his rage. "The Borgias…" he spat , his voice dripped with venom. "We need to see Salai…" Leona said quietly, her shoulders where shaking. Ezio softened. "Who's Salai?"

"His apprentice, some *pico culo he picked off the street actually..." her voice was cracking, like her calm exterior. "Come; let's get your papa back." He drew her to him in a comforting hug. She clutched the fabric of his clothes tightly, a patch of wetness forming on his shirt. Ezio patted her back and kissed her head. "Everything will be fine bambino."

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"What would a child be doing here?!" asked Ezio incredulously.

"Salai has a knack for gambling…" Leona mumbled.

Ezio shook his head and made his way into the shady looking building, Leona in close pursuit. The place was crowded and smelt of smoke, alcohol and something sour and damp.

Leona manoeuvred her way through the crowd, turning on her eagle vision. Finally she spotted a speck of gold. Making her way toward the gold speck among neutral colours of dull blue, she finally grabbed hold of Salai's sleeve.

"Ahh…Leona?!" The boy asked surprised, he had a curly mass of ginger hair and was roughly a year or two younger than her*. "Who took papa?!" she yelled, spittle shooting at Salai's face. He just sputtered back and Leona snapped. "Culo! Pezzo de merda! Where's Papa? Where's Leonardo da Vinci!?" she bellowed. "The Roma soldiers took Maestro!" he yelled frantically. "The Borgias!" he trembled in fear. She angrily shoved him off, Ezio placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Thank you Bambino, we'll get your maestro back for you." Ezio told Salai.

"Grazie a Dio, I was running out of money." Salai said, sounding relieved. Leona growled, but was cut short when she noticed odd movement in the room. Ezio patted her shoulder, in a warning sort of way.

Ezio switched on his eagle vision, there were a number of red spots among the blue. "Protect the Bambino..." he said, hand on his sword. Leona quietly nodded, pulling Salai protectively behind her, her hand hovering over her short sword.

The spots of red closed in on them. _'attack!'_ was the silent command. Out from the crowd sprang a number of heavily built men with swords and daggers.

Ezio leapt, stabbing and squelching his sword into the enemies flesh. Leona slashed at the men that came too close to her and Salai, like an angry viper.

Finally, the room was nothing but a cavern of screaming people and a few dead bodies. "Take care Salai, hide yourself well" Leon lightly patted the boys shoulder. "Come Maestro, let's go to Roma." She said hurriedly, tugging at his sleeve. "Papa's in danger." Ezio followed suit waving an awkward farewell at Salai. "Bring back the Maestro before I go broke!" Salai called after.

'_Wait for me Leonardo…'_

_**TBC….**_

*Mi Auguro – I hope

*Mi Amore – My love

*Pico Culo – Little stupid

* Roughly a year or two younger than her- Leonardo's four years younger in this fic, Salai was 18 when he was fifty…so I'm guessing he would be 8 around this time and would turn 18 when Leonardo's 46.


	4. Arc 1 : Italy part 4

**Chapter 4**

**Author's note : The fox familiar,**Hello *smiley face* I'm in no way offended by your comments…I did put up warnings and you still read it despite not wanting to. There's clearly something wrong with you. As for the other things, there's still more to the story than two guys humping each other. You just gotta wait. Maybe the others weren't homosexual but Leonardo was, learn your history. He was also against violence; he made warheads because he was forced to. As for the grammatical errors, thanks for pointing them out…I guess I'll give you a virtual cookie for that. I think people have the liberty to write whatever they want and they also have the right to talk about whatever they want so…I'm not that mad at you. I viewed your profile…You are one interesting human. You hate us yaoi fangirls so much, it's funny. Flaming a story because you hate yaoi is childish, deny it a million times but it's true…And seriously I don't think you can comment on my lady parts, you haven't even seen it. Maybe you've forced some people out of …But I will never leave…In fact I think I'll add some of your favourites (BDSM, Incest) in some other fanfiction just to please your eyes (Kidding actually…I despise BDSM and Incest). You hate feminists? Well boo you, I'm a big time feminist…so if you're still planning on reading and sending in more flames…yay you! All humans have some sort of darkness deep in their hearts…I think belittling and verbally abusing people are one of the many kinks you've got in that little dark place in your heart. Bye bye! Now go ahead on that pointless journey for being recognised.

PS: thanks for three reviews *smiley face*

**Author's note 2: Reviews to master **thank you for your concern, it was really sweet of you. I will not stop writing this fic for you and for me… I love this fic a lot because it's gonna be awesome and I don't wanna let out any spoilers so…

On to the story!

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The walls of Rome loomed hideously large over them; the air was heavy with tension, there were guards everywhere. They made their way to the assassin's headquarters, the two had completely forgotten about an impending threat behind those doors.

"Back so soon?" Machiavelli's voice dripped with sarcasm. "I can explain-"

"We could have gathered a lot of information, maybe even retrieve the apple in the time of your absence." Machiavelli said with an ice cold tone.

"Papa's been taken!" Leona said defiantly. "You can punish me all you want later. Just let me save him… He's the only family I've got. Please…" Leona's voice wavered a little towards the last sentence. Machiavelli's gaze softened ever so slightly.

"They must have kidnapped him for a reason; it might lead us closer to the apple." Ezio tried reasoning.

"Two weeks." His stone cold expression was back again. "I'll give you two weeks and you're back to getting the apple."

At the mention of apple, a jolt shot up Leona's spine, a flash of memories… of greed and dying men and women. It happened sometimes when she slept or heard certain words…her head would be swirling with memories and thoughts for a few seconds, of some foreign land, of back stabbing, treachery and greed.

Machiavelli had noticed, he gave her a scrutinizing look which she ignored, praying he'll just brush it aside.

"Two weeks will do." Ezio nodded and took Leona with him. Machiavelli's gaze had never left her all that while.

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Leonardo had finally come out of that wretched place, albeit under heavy guard. His new residence was a tiny dark workshop, just one room, hastily divided for the sake of privacy during sleep. He wearily sat in front of an unfinished painting. After several moments of contemplating on what to do, he set his brush aside and looked out the window. The only good thing about the entire setting of his residence was the fact that the window overlooked a stable. He adored animals, especially horses. They had an elegant, proud and athletic gait, their coats rich and glossy and their manes regal and gorgeous. Several times he had captured them on paper, simple rough sketches which he would exalt with exotic scenery and people.

Today, the horses seemed to have made him gloomier. Tied to the confines of the stable, when they should be galloping freely in the grassy meadows… it reminded him of how he was, confined to the Borgias with no way out. Gloomy enough already, the painter decided to go to bed.

The dark, gloomy night always dies at the wake of dawn didn't it? Then again the dawn dies in the wake of night and the cycle continues….

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Ezio carefully blended in with the crowd, horses made him too noticeable. The thick expensive fabric and the Spanish leather of his clothes, the lush red silk of his cape and the weapons he carried were bound to get more than a few guards suspicious.

"Ezio! Ezio!" came a hurried whisper somewhere to his left. He turned to see a dark alley. "Yes, over here." The voice beckoned him.

Ezio followed the direction of the voice, to an enclosed area overlooking the Tiber. He had his hidden blade ready, looking around to spot movement.

"Ezio!" a very familiar face had emerged from behind the bench.

"Leonardo?!" Ezio exclaimed as the painter bundled him up in a tight hug. Ezio hugged back, something warm and pleasant buzzed in his chest.

After coming out of the comfort of each other's embrace, Ezio took to examining Leonardo. The painter was thinner and paler, his usual bright sky blue eyes seemed to have been clouded over.

The two sat themselves on a nearby bench. "I heard you had been taken by the Borgias, doesn't seem so…" Ezio had his eyes fixed on the bridge over the Tiber, which was almost deserted now as dusk drew near.

"It is true, I was forced to work for the Borgias . They force me to make war heads…I need them destroyed Ezio, if those things are put to use, no one will stand a chance… The whole of Italia will be thrown into chaos!" Leonardo shuddered, both in fear and disgust at being the maker of those weapons.

"Si, I'll make sure Italia is rid of this menace." Ezio nodded. Leonardo looked him in the eye now, something akin to fear swirling in the bright blue of his eyes. "They have the apple, the Borgias…" Leonardo said in a low, frightened voice. "I thought you-"

"I gave it to my uncle…." Ezio was a little louder than a mumble, his forehead was creased and his eyes were unreadable.

Leonardo's heart clenched, Mario Auditore was a very friendly man. He wondered how someone would have the heart to kill him, then again knowing Cesare, he wasn't too surprised. He could visualise Mario bravely facing his death and it made him loathe his gifted mind. "I'm sorry…" His voice and shoulders shook with the tremor of unshed tears. Ezio just patted his shoulder in a gesture that conveyed comfort, though it was he who actually needed comforting.

Leonardo's gaze fell on Ezio's hidden blade; it was a little rickety and was in a dire need of modification. He took Ezio's large rough hands in his own, examining the weapon.

Ezio was a little better, seeing Leonardo seriously scrutinising the hidden blade. It was comforting knowing that at least a few things were constant in his tumultuous life…

He admitted that Leonardo was very attractive, but it wasn't that he was attracted to him…. It was a sort of lust less love, which was surprising given his unquenchable hunger for sex. He just couldn't imagine Leonardo getting sexual with him… it seemed unsightly and very un-Leonardolike. Apart from the man's claims that he was celibate, there was something in Leonardo's ways of showing affection that seemed to convey the fact that an act of lust would spoil it…it was just that innocent.

"How is Leona?" Leonardo asked, breaking Ezio out of his reverie. "She is here, under Machiavelli's protection." Ezio almost grimaced; he knew how terrible the man's lectures were. The painter sighed in relief. "I miss writing to Machiavelli… I always admired his eloquent writing skills."_ Unlike Ezio's chicken scratches for letters_ was left unsaid.

The two were engaged in a nice friendly conversation now, Ezio felt warm and pleasant like under a thick woollen blanket during the cold winds of Italy's winters. He didn't feel like an assassin or someone burdened with the responsibility of a whole nation, he felt like himself.

Soon, the sun had sunk behind the buildings, the moon and stars' casting a glowing light over the city, like an ethereal barrier against something evil, though evil was currently residing behind its walls.

Leonardo suddenly gasped, scolding himself for wasting so much time. "The guard's must be incredibly suspicious by now!" he fretted. "I best be on my way."

He stood up. Ezio got up and enveloped him in a warm hug "Fare well, Leonardo." He slightly rubbed the shorter man's back "I can always kill those guards for you, you know.

"No, you're doing enough of that already!" Leonardo scolded, hugging him tighter. He didn't want to leave the warmth behind, but he had to. "I'll manage, now be off on your way, you've got a lot of work to do." The finally broke apart…unwillingly.

"Take care, Leonardo." Ezio bade farewell and disappeared into the night leaving Leonardo alone. The night now just seemed cold and frigid…

0000000000

Leonardo made his way back to his dingy little residence, there seemed to be a few guards on the prowl, probably waiting for his return.

"And where were you for so long?" one of them asked, his voice was deep like a cow's low 'moo'.

"Just talking with the people." He faked a smile. " people from Roma aren't so bad like they said back in Firenze…" Leonardo laughed nervously

"That's because all of them see you as the gentle little painter." The guard sneered. "No one knows what an expert you are at making things that blow them up leave them looking like stuffing in Lasagna." The other guards laughed

Leonardo made his way into the dark confines of his lair, his heart was as heavy as his eyes, and his knees were too weak to be supporting them.

**TBC**

**Reviews if you wanna**

**Wanna be critics and attention whores are annoying, but unavoidable so there's no use asking for no flames….**

**And yea Ezio and Leonardo…is more of a fluffy pairing. The real Leonardo was celibate because the past accusations of sodomy lead to the death of his 'lover'.**

**Some historians also believe that Leonardo might have been sexually abused during his boyhood and hence was celibate for the rest of his life. Child abuse is a terrible thing so I'm not taking this into account for the fanfiction.**


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